Loving God, by Your design, it is in time, in the currents of history, that Your children see Your finger at work.

Under the guidance of our Father Francis, our brothers brought gospel living -- the Tree of Life -- from the hills of Umbria, across the Alps to Germany. That young plant blossomed there for centuries, sending roots deep into lands watered by the rivers of Paderborn.

A hundred and fifty years ago, pushed from their homes and shaking the dust from their sandals, our brothers carried this plant of gospel-living to a new country, to lands watered by other rivers.

Wrapped in coarse brown wool, hidden in ancient books of parchment and paper, the friars brought the tree of gospel life to this continent. They cared for it so that its fruit might sustain your people, here, in this place -- the native, the immigrant and the children of slaves -- those filled with new hopes and yearnings yet bound by fears and home-sickness.

O Lord of Time, You do not ask us to repeat the past but to cooperate with You in some HOLY NEWNESS. You do not demand that we hold fast to time but that we discern Your urgings in it. You do not seek our withdrawal from the world but our gospel response to it.

As we reflect on our Franciscan forebears, may we learn from their experience, may we be inspired by their example and may we be challenged by their courage.

We ask this in full confidence because we pray in the name of Jesus Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen.

Composed by Bill Burton, O.F.M.